The present invention is broadly concerned with conical disc spring columns.
To operate properly, certain machines require conical disc spring columns rather than disc-shaped steel wire springs.
The use of conical disc springs is limited by the fact that they must be guided by an external tubular cylinder, or have an inserted cylindrical shaft to hold them mutually juxtaposed in columnar form; such guides being required for their use.
The guides are provided at their ends with a number of disc-shaped shields that serve as stops of the ends of the conical disc spring column while keeping the ends from escaping the guide.
For a specific machine to use a disc spring column, it must possess an appropriate mechanical system with a component which presses on the conical disc springs and causes them to compress.
In known disc spring columns, when the guide is in the form of a single-piece central shaft, and the height of the spring column is to be reduced when subjected to sufficient perpendicular pressure for that purpose, the inserted rigid single-piece shaft does not collapse, rather, a central opening must be allowed for the emergence of the upper end of said single-piece rigid central shaft.
However, in connection with the vertical or longitudinal emergence of the rigid single-piece central shaft, the presence of the projecting portion disturbs and obstructs the proper operation of the conical disc spring column, thus limiting its use.
It has been proposed that the compression support piece which receives the compressing force having a housing with sufficient clearance so that the protruding guide is not exposed and so that it is protected by the housing chamber having appropriate clearance provided for such time as when the guide is in the projected position.
The housing chamber must occupy an amount of space that varies depending on the height of the path created on the compression of the column of conical discs that form it, and must take into account the vertical emergence of the inserted rod.
The trapped volume, which must be present, adversely affects the installation and proper operation of the spring and the machine in which it is installed.